Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire

We tell New Hampshire’s forgotten stories
From the docks of Portsmouth, where merchants engaged in the trans-Atlantic slave trade unloaded their cargo, to the northern border with Canada where many escaping captives found their first moment of freedom, the Granite State holds a multitude of stories that mark the milestones of its complex history.

For more than 300 years, the lives of African people and their descendants have been a part of New Hampshire’s history. African-American history has long been hidden in the shadows even though Black lives have been intermixing with White lives in highly personal ways.

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today.

Building on our success with the Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail that started more than two decades ago, the new Black Heritage Trail will connect the stories of New Hampshire’s African heritage by documenting and marking visible many of the historic sites that testify to this rich history.

Guided tours and public programs, along with educational materials and teacher workshops, will continue to be developed by the Black Heritage Trail to promote awareness of African-American culture and to honor all the people of African descent whose names may not have been included in previous town histories.

As we celebrate a people’s history of resilience, versatility and courage, we invite everyone to explore for themselves what our shared history means and bring that light into the present.